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98.9% Pokemon: Chronicles of Darkness / Chapter 177: Chapter 177:

Capítulo 177: Chapter 177:

Returning to Vermilion City, Cain's feelings were entirely different from before.

Previously, he was led by Umbra to leave the Trial Island early, carrying a significant mission on his shoulders. At that time, he hadn't yet recovered from the island's violent influences, and he felt a faint sense of coldness towards everyone he encountered.

But now, as he arrived once again, the pressure in Cain's heart had lessened.

With a certain level of strength, one's perspective changes. And although Cain's current strength was still not particularly impressive compared to that of a powerful figure like Umbra, it was no longer the same as that of an ordinary person.

Now, Cain had five main battle Pokemon, one support Pokemon, and one transport Pokemon, making him much stronger than when he had left the Trial Island.

Not only had there been an increase in the number of Pokemon, but their power had grown as well.

Take Murkrow and Slowpoke for example. They had become much stronger since leaving the island.

Although their levels had not increased significantly, their proficiency in utilizing their moves had improved beyond comparison to their previous state. Their battle awareness and fighting techniques had also seen substantial enhancement.

The most dramatic transformation was seen in Gastly, who had not only become considerably stronger, but had also gradually developed his poison attribute.

Cain hailed a cab and headed straight to the largest port in Vermilion City: Vermilion Harbor.

Since he had chosen to travel by sea to the Hoenn region, Cain wanted to board a luxurious cruise liner, such as the S.S. Aqua or the S.S. Anne. These ships were like small cities, with wealthy patrons often chartering them for leisure trips and hosting competitions onboard.

If such a grand liner were to set sail in the coming days, Cain wouldn't mind spending a little extra.

Thanks to the taxi driver's expert driving, Cain arrived at Vermilion Harbor within an hour.

This was his first time at the harbor. When he had returned from Trial Island, he and Umbra had traveled on a cargo ship, so they could only dock at the cargo port.

Gazing at the rows of magnificent luxury cruise ships lined up along the harbor, Cain couldn't help but marvel. Money certainly had its advantages; such a massive ship could likely be exchanged for several pseudo-legendary Pokemon.

This world was truly abundant with affluent individuals.

To Cain's delight, he spotted a towering luxury liner at the harbor, proudly bearing the name S.S. Anne in large letters.

After inquiring at the ticket counter, Cain learned that the illustrious S.S. Anne cruise ship would set sail the day after tomorrow, destined for the coastal city of Sunyshore in the Sinnoh region. En route, the ship would pass through the Hoenn region and make a stop at Slateport City.

Unfortunately, due to the popularity of the S.S. Anne, all standard tickets had already sold out. If one wished to board the ship, only the luxurious suite tickets remained available.

Of course, if one were to disembark at Slateport City, the ticket price would be significantly cheaper.

Cain was taken aback upon discovering that a single ticket cost a whopping 100,000 Pokedollars—surely the luxurious suite didn't warrant such a steep price? One hundred thousand Pokedollars were roughly equivalent to an ordinary family's annual income.

Nonetheless, Cain was left with little choice considering that the next cruise ship bound for Slateport City would only arrive at port three days later and would likely depart a week after that. Furthermore, the subsequent cruise ship wouldn't offer the same level of luxury and grandeur as the S.S. Anne.

The ticket seller informed Cain that the luxurious suite boasted its own private room that was not only spacious and comfortable but also included an indoor training ground for trainers to use.

In the end, Cain swiped his card and spent 100,000 Pokedollars on a luxurious suite ticket.

Earning back 100,000 Pokedollars wouldn't pose much of a challenge for Cain, should he choose to do so.

Staying in a comfortable suite would be preferential for the several days they would spend at sea, as would having access to a professional training ground to ensure his Pokémon didn't become complacent.

After purchasing the ticket, Cain headed towards the Pokémon Center.

Vermilion City was a harbor city, with the entire metropolis permeated by the faint scent of the sea. The city was constructed around the shoreline, with its economic center situated along the coast. Even the Vermilion Gym was built beside the sea.

Thus, the Pokémon Center wasn't too far from the port. Cain, accompanied by his Slowpoke, walked for twenty minutes before arriving at the Pokémon Center.

Cain swiped his Association ID card to enter the building and headed straight for the free public video phone booth.

First, he called Whitney, who had been urging him every few days to produce more Pokeblocks. Her family's dairy farm was simply too large, and Cain's efforts to create the Pokeblocks singlehandedly were like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water.

Cain had considered selling the Pokeblock formula directly to her family, but given his current status and influence, he wouldn't receive a fair price. Acquiring a formula for Pokeblocks—especially one with unique properties—wasn't something money alone could buy.

Furthermore, Whitney's grandfather was a cunning and shrewd man. Cain's power and status paled in comparison to his. In such a lopsided situation, a fair trade was unlikely. It might have been different if it were Steven involved.

After placating Whitney, Cain sent her all the Pokeblocks he had managed to produce in his spare time.

Miltank now used high-grade Pokeblocks. The older inventory Cain had made for it was no longer necessary, so he sent it all along with the new batch to Whitney.

In total, the value was roughly 300,000 Pokedollars, a modest sum for Whitney's family. They often mixed these Pokeblocks with other Pokeblocks, slightly reducing their effectiveness. But it was better than having none at all.

Shortly after the transfer, Cain received a text message confirming the payment.

He had made up his mind: if he successfully forged a connection with Steven, he would ask him to broker the deal for the intermediate Pokeblock formula. Despite its simplicity, crafting the Pokeblocks took up a considerable amount of his time. More importantly, Cain was in dire need of money right now.

He needed to explore and exhaust every possibility to enhance the strength of his Pokemon before the final trial on Trial Island began.

After Whitney, Cain dialed Steven's number as displayed on his phone.

He waited for a moment, and just when Cain thought Steven wasn't around and was about to give up, the video call connected.

"Hey Cain, what brings you to call me? Did you make progress with the formula?" Steven appeared on the screen, took a towel from a servant, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and spoke.

Wealthy show-off!

Cain silently cursed at Steven's comfortable appearance in his mind.

However, not a trace of discontent showed on his face. He smiled and said, "The formula is almost ready. My teacher is working hard on it and some components are already confirmed, so you can start preparing for them."

Upon hearing Cain's words, Steven's eyes instantly lit up. "So soon? No wonder you're a genius, having been raised by such an expert breeder. Ordinary people would need at least half a year of research upon hearing my request, with no guarantee of success, and they'd charge an outrageous price."


next chapter

Capítulo 178: Chapter 178:

Cain's cheeks twitched involuntarily. 'For a Pokemon tycoon like you, money shouldn't be a big deal. Isn't it just a number?'

Steven continued, "Tell me what materials you need, and I'll get them ready."

Cain nodded. "We'll need one portion of Soft Gold and one portion of metal-plating base material, Silver Dust. Both are valuable and not easy to collect. As you know, your request is a bit... unconventional, so these materials are essential."

"Hmm..." Steven rubbed his chin, pondering. He wasn't naive, as the heir to the Devon Corporation, he couldn't be easily fooled. Although not a Pokemon breeder, he had some basic knowledge, especially about his favorite Steel-type Pokemon.

To be honest, Cain and Steven had only met once, and although they got along well, appearances could be deceiving. Who knew if Cain would take the precious materials and disappear? After all, the combined value of these materials was two million, and only someone like Steven could afford them.

Cain sensed Steven's concerns and stayed quiet, simply waiting for his response. Trust between people wasn't something that could be easily expressed through words.

"If..."

"I don't..."

Both spoke at the same time, then paused, chuckling as they looked at each other.

Cain laughed. "You go first."

Steven also smiled, not dwelling on the earlier moment. "I thought about it, and I don't have any Silver Dust left. I used it all up. Do you think Silver Particles would work instead?"

Silver Dust was a base material for metal plating and the lowest-quality ingredient for the process. A metal coating made from Silver Dust might prevent a Pokemon from reaching its full potential after evolution, similar to the effects of a basic Evolution Stone.

Silver Particles, however, were a more advanced material. Calling them Silver Particles didn't mean they could be ground into Silver Dust. In fact, both Silver Particles and Silver Dust were powder-like substances.

The powder contained different concentrations of Steel-type energy; a single Silver Dust particle was significantly heavier than Silver Dust powder. A particle of Silver Dust held the same weight as a small cluster of the powder, equivalent to a single particle.

"If you want to use Silver Particles, I have no objections, but the production cost will be much higher," Cain cautioned.

"No problem. Just the other day, my Metang finished eating all of my Silver Dust powder, and I'm only left with the particles. If you hadn't come for them today, they would have been devoured by tomorrow," Steven nonchalantly waved his hand. In his world, Silver Dust powder and particles were akin to snacks.

"..."

Cain realized that calling Steven had been a mistake. He should have just sent a text and asked for the items to be sent directly. He even worried about whether the wealthy Steven was concerned about being swindled.

How poverty had limited his imagination.

Cain wasn't entirely wrong in his assumptions. No one would place their complete trust in someone after only one encounter. Steven wasn't some naive, clueless kid; as the heir of the Devon Corporation, he couldn't possibly be ignorant of such matters. He simply believed Cain had promising talent as a Pokémon breeder, and more importantly, he was intrigued by the Elite Breeder Cain claimed to be associated with.

If such a prestigious breeder truly existed, it wouldn't be a problem to invest a little in advance to curry favor. For a businessman like Steven, it was all about investing in Cain, or rather, the Elite Breeder behind him.

Another factor was that the materials Cain mentioned held little value to Steven. Of course, Cain wasn't aware of these details. Having never encountered an entity as colossal as the Devon Corporation, he couldn't fathom their true capabilities, and his impoverished imagination had indeed become reality.

Steven disappeared from the screen, and Cain faintly heard him instructing his servant to prepare the materials Cain needed. The supposedly hard-to-find items in Cain's world were abundant resources in Steven's household.

Moments later, Steven reappeared on the screen. "Alright, Cain, I've sent everything over to you. If you need more supplies next time, just give me a call. I'll probably be at home, but if I'm not, my servants will answer the phone. You can talk directly to them; I've already informed them."

Cain pondered whether he could simply ask for a high-grade Dusk Stone when Steven wasn't around, and if Steven's servants would give it to him without hesitation. Of course, it was just a thought, and Cain didn't really believe that the servants attending to Steven would be fools.

He collected the package of materials from the transporter and stowed it in his ring. "By the way, do you want me to send you the research funds now?" Steven asked.

"Not yet. Let me consult with my teacher first, then I'll let you know," Cain replied.

"Alright. If there's nothing else, I'll have to go. I have a meeting coming up." Steven didn't insist on sending the money right away, as he understood that research funding was a significant amount and Cain's need to consult his teacher was reasonable.

What Steven didn't know was that Cain had no real teacher to consult and didn't actually need research funds. He was just unsure about how much money to ask for. He initially had a figure in mind, but after witnessing Steven's behavior today, he felt the need to reconsider. He thought that he might not be able to take full advantage of Steven's wealth, which was somewhat disheartening.

"Actually, there is a small favor I'd like to ask of you," Cain hesitated before speaking.

"Oh? Let's hear it," Steven replied, stopping himself from ending the video call.

Cain quickly explained, "You know I developed an intermediate-grade Pokéblock that increases the milk production of Miltank at the Moomoo Farm in Goldenrod City. They've been ordering these Pokéblocks from me on a long-term basis. Initially, I was manufacturing them myself to supply the farm, but with their growing number of Miltank, it's become too much for me to handle, and it's consuming a lot of my time. So, I've decided to sell the formula to them, and I'd like you to act as an intermediary. After all, I've rejected their offers before, and you know how someone like me, without any significant background, might fare…"

"Didn't you mention you have a teacher who's a Senior Breeder?" Steven suddenly asked. Senior Breeders held high status within the Association, and even Moomoo Farm, the biggest ranch in the city, wouldn't want to offend one.

"Wait, you said an intermediate Pokéblock? Not a basic one? You made it yourself?" Steven seemed to have caught another key point. Previously, he'd thought Cain only made basic Pokéblocks while on the Magnet Train. The recipe for intermediate Pokéblocks was an entirely different matter.


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